The Ranger Suarez presser
The Red Sox were Ranger Suarez's first Zoom call this offseason. They kept in touch with the free agent pitcher throughout the offseason. And last week Craig Breslow and Co. locked up the lefty to a five-year, $130 million deal.
But, make no mistake about it, despite all the positive vibes, personality and track record Suarez brings to the Red Sox, holding anything but an Alex Bregman press conference was anything but Plan A for this organization.
What's done is done. The first version of Plan A has been scrapped. Wednesday, the Red Sox's Plan A 2.0 was officially unveiled.
"I think the improvements we made to the pitching side are signficant," said Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow after helping introduce Suarez at Fenway Park. "It can be difficult at times to fully appreciate the impact of having dominant starting pitching. But going into a game feeling like we can just play our game offensively and on the bases because our pitching is going to keep us in the game is such a huge advantage for the team. I think no matter who we’re playing, on any given day, we’re going to feel like we’ve got a chance to win."
Pitching. Run prevention. And more pitching. As we sit here, that is the hill the Red Sox are willing to die on heading into the 2026 season.
The reality is that Breslow knows this idea of winning 1-0 games on the way to a World Series title isn't likely the entire picture. Another infield bat will most likely be added before March, softening this be-all, end-all approach to pitching. But he can only speak to the here and the now, and the possibility that some more of the team's best-laid plans are blown up.
And the here and the now of the Red Sox is a story of a team with a whole lot of pitchers and not necessarily a whole lot of homers.
"I feel like, my answer is the same disappointing answer, which is it's so hard to tell because there are there are moments over the course of the offseason where you feel like you're minutes away from a trade coming together and signing, and then you look up a couple hours later and the whole thing dissolves," said Breslow when asked if he felt any further moves might be imminent. "I think we've been pushing all offseason trying to have as many conversations as we can. And, you know, if it's free agency, it's getting uncomfortable. If it's trades that are putting guys in the conversation, we would much prefer to hold on to them. But until I feel like you get a yes from the other side or we give a yes, it's just so hard to know. I think that said, I will continue to stay engaged, and our hope is that they're seeing some continued opportunities to improve the team."
He added, "Teams call about some of our depth, which I think is a good indication of where we stand. We actually go and have conversations, whether it's starting pitching or outfield. But we've prioritized the near-term 2026 pretty significantly. And so any trade that we make, if we were to go down that path, I think we're mindful of making sure that we come out better in 2026 as a result of doing it."
In other words, trading Jarren Duran or some of their litany of viable starting pitchers for prospects doesn't seem like the path Breslow wants to take. He understands his team's needs, and those are rooted in the ability to soften this stance that 75 percent of this season's success will be contingent on the pitching being unworldly.
But what if the Red Sox can't find that difference-making bat? Is this idea of putting run prevention on an unprecedented pedestal a realistic route?
The answer: Maybe. But it would undoubtedly be a big risk.
Just look at the Rangers of a year ago. That was a team that led all of baseball in ERA yet only finished at .500. A more extreme example was the Pirates, whose OPS-against was fifth-best in MLB, yet they finished with just 71 wins. Conversely, the American League champion Blue Jays' pitching staff landed with just the 19th-best ERA in baseball, two spots better than the world champs, the Dodgers.
Think you can get by with next-level pitching and not-so-great offense. Those aforementioned Rangers went 16-62 when scoring three or fewer runs.
Make no mistake about it, good pitching is a must when trying to identify yourself as a good team. None of the bottom 11 teams in team ERA claimed more than 80 wins. But a case could be made that the ability to score runs is as important, if not moreso. Nine of the top 11 run-producing teams made the postseason, and just one of the 16 worst run-scoring clubs (San Diego) played in the playoffs.
The Red Sox know this. It's why Breslow proclaimed at the GM meetings that his goal was to find a powerful, middle-of-the-order bat. At least part of that blueprint was supposed to be in addition to Bregman. They got WIllson Contreras, but they lost the other guy. So far, they are playing for the tie, and that wasn't the gameplan.
It's not like the Red Sox are devoid of bats. It's just that their overall current existence leaves very little room for error.
Other than Garrett Crochet, there can be subtle uncertainties found throughout this group made up of Suarez, Sonny Gray, Brayan Bello, Johan Oviedo, Kutter Crawford, Payton Tolle, Connelly Early, Patrick Sandoval and Kyle Harrison.
More pressure will be undeniably put on Roman Anthony. Jarren Duran will need to return to his 2024 form. Wilyer Abreu has to stay healthy. Ceddanne Rafaela must stop chasing sliders. Contreras has to get his OPS back up over .800. Trevor Story can't take a step back. And Masa Yoshida can't be piling up 4-3's or a bunch of singles.
And we haven't even mentioned the other part of the run-prevention equation, finding Bregman-level fielding at third and second base.
It's not ideal, and it's probably not done. But, for now, it's their plan.